Keeping up with the Joneses

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"Keeping up with the Joneses" is a catchphrase in many parts of the English-speaking world referring to the comparison to one's neighbour as a benchmark for social caste or the accumulation of material goods. To fail to "keep up with the Joneses" is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority.

A related British phrase is "keeping up appearances"[citation needed], which is also the title of a British sitcom on this theme.

Contents

[edit] Origins

The phrase was popularized when a comic strip of the same name was created by cartoonist Arthur R. "Pop" Momand.[1] The strip debuted in 1916 in the New York World, but strips appear in collections dated as early as April 1, 1913. The strip ran in American newspapers for 28 years, and was eventually adapted into books, films, and musical comedies. The "Joneses" of the title were neighbors of the strip's main characters, and were spoken of but never actually seen in person.

[edit] Social effects

The philosophy of "keeping up with the Joneses" has widespread effects on society. According to this philosophy, conspicuous consumption occurs when households care about their standard of living in relation to their societal peers.[2]

According to Roger Mason, "the demand for status goods, fueled by conspicuous consumption, has diverted many resources away from investment in the manufacture of more material goods and services in order to satisfy consumer preoccupations with their relative social standing and prestige."[3]

Social status once depended on one's family name; however, the rise of consumerism in the United States gave rise to social mobility. With the increasing availability of goods, people became more inclined to define themselves by what they possessed and the subtle quest for higher status accelerated. Conspicuous consumption and materialism have been an insatiable juggernaut ever since.[4] The desire to increase one's position in the social hierarchy is responsible for much of the social mobility in America. The upward mobility over the past few decades in America is due in part to the large number of women joining the labor force. U.S. women have slowly and steadily increased their participation in the labor force from 46 percent of all women (age 16+) in 1974 to almost 60 percent in 2004.[5]

In addition, the number of college graduates are at an all time high. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of full time college students increased by 33 percent. College enrollment hit a projected record level of 18 million in 2007. Between 2007 and 2016, enrollment is expected to increase by 14 percent.[6] With more people receiving higher levels of education, and more women entering the labor force, the upward mobility in America continues to climb; however, right alongside it has risen the degree to which these people want to consume things which will keep them at the same level in the social hierarchy as their peers.[citation needed]

One area in which "living above one's means" has caused negative social effects is that of credit card usage. In the first quarter of 2002, total credit debt was $660 billion. By 2005, the total credit card debt had increased to $735 billion.[7] Americas' average credit card debt in 2007 was $8400 per household. By the end of 2007, consumer debt in America had risen to $2.5 trillion.[8] According to the Federal Reserve, over 40% of households spend more than they earn.

[edit] Variations

A British variation is "Keeping up with the Beckhams". This refers to a desire to have a lifestyle similar to David Beckham and his wife Victoria as portrayed on television and in celebrity magazines. Another variation is "spend it like Beckham",[9][10][11] a reference to the film Bend It Like Beckham.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ According to The Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson
  2. ^ Gali, Jordi. Keeping up with the Joneses: Consumption Externalities, Portfolio Choice, and Asset Prices. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Feb.,1994), pp. 1-8
  3. ^ Mason, Roger. Conspicuous Consumption and the Positional Economy: Policy and Prescription since 1970. Managerial and Decision Economics, Vol. 21. No. 3/4, The Behavioral Economics of Consumption (Apr.-Jun.,2000), pp.123-132
  4. ^ Possessions 2, Notre Dame magazine
  5. ^ OLMIS - Women in the Labor Force
  6. ^ Digest of Education Statistics, 2007 - Introduction
  7. ^ US consumer debt reaches record levels
  8. ^ http://creditcounselingbiz.com/credit_counseling_statistics.htm
  9. ^ Oliver James- Affluenza, Vermillion Books, ISBN 978009191900113
  10. ^ Is Money Too Important in our Lives, Culture? « Peace and Freedom
  11. ^ Young, footloose - and broke - Telegraph

[edit] External links

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